Will Lawton married Mary Houghton and they had two boys Clarence in 1893 and Clint in 1894 before Mary died young in the mid 1890s. Cora Baker and George Lester had three children Ada in 1884, Raymond in 1886, and Charles Lester in 1887. Then, it has been said, George returned to his native Canada where he had a wife and family, leaving Cora with three small children. At the beginning of the twentieth century Will and Cora began life together and had Lloyd in 1905, Floyd in 1907, and Clara in 1911.
Will and family, minus Clarence, began homesteading in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1911, and remained there until 1918.
Even with free land, the family was unable to earn a living. They raised wheat, boarded the local school teacher, and yet were unable to pay the taxes on the property. In the meantime Cora’s son Charles Lester had homesteaded near Glasgow, Montana in the United States, almost due south of Will and Cora. In 1918 Charles joined the United States Army to fight in World War I. He was hurt before ever leaving the United States, and died willing his mother his homestead in Montana. Will and Cora left their land in Canada with Clint, and began the approximately 200 mile arduous journey to Montana.
With a team of horses hooked to a wagon covered with a tarp, and another light spring wagon, Will, Cora, the three younger children, a dog and a duck headed south. They met bands of friendly roaming Indians, but the children were not too sure about that friendly part. They also wandered into herds of sheep tended by men on horses and mules. Young Floyd had an appendicitis attack which delayed the trip for about a week at a ranch. About a month after the beginning the travelers finally arrived at Glasgow. Cora broke down and cried when she discovered there was another forty miles to go to get to the homestead ranch which overlooked the confluence of the Milk and Missouri Rivers.
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